Friends Caring for Each Other
by yuriama sohma
Summary: A little one-shot I wrote to help me sort through some stuff. Takuya and Kouji help a common friend through a rough time.


**Friends Caring for Each Other **

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfiction**

**By: Yuriama Sohma**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon Frontier or any other Digimon.**

**A/N: I apologize ahead of time if Kouji and Takuya are OOC, I wrote this when I was kinda upset and didn't bother to go back and watch some of Frontier to double check myself like I normally would**

Kouji and I walked into the classroom that morning arguing over something that if I could remember what it was now I'd probably say was stupid in retrospect. That is, seeing as what happened that day. I was making some sort of smart ass remark as I looked into the room that died on my lips. Cause crowded around one of the desks was every girl and half the guys in class. Knowing whose desk it was I pulled Kouji through the crowd to see what was wrong. Sitting in the chair curled in on herself in some sort of upright fetal position was Keiko Tanemura. Seeing her look so upset without tears would have been disturbing seeing as she was almost more animated and happy all the time than ME. But with tears streaking down her face it was downright bone-chilling. Kouji and I exchanged a terror-stricken glance before he leaned down and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Keiko, what's-?" He started to ask her before she looked up and practically tackled him in a hug. If she hadn't seemed so freakin' miserable I probably would have laughed at the sight of the 'Lone Wolf' getting tackled like that, especially since in any other situation his face would have been priceless. As it was a few nervous giggles from the watching crowd escaped. Kneeling next to the pair on the ground I put my own hand on her shoulder and finished Kouji's question for him. "Keiko, what's wrong? Why are you so upset?" Looking up at me with tearful eyes she sniffled.

"M-my cat got hit last night. I found him this m-morning and m-my dad made me c-come to school anyway. Oh, Takuya! Tomaki was my best friend! No matter what he was always there for me, even during Mom and Dad's divorce!" She wailed snagging me into the tangle of limbs and sobbing unabashedly against both of our chests. Kouji and I exchanged another look, this time one that was clearly asking the other what to do. We knew exactly how much Tomaki had meant to Keiko. He had been the last thing her mother gave her that didn't have some sort of string attached. She'd given Keiko Tomaki for her last birthday before her parent's split, right before she started doing drugs. Everything after that was either to keep her from telling her dad something or a guilt gift. To lose him...Well I could only imagine the pain she was feeling. Kouji was looking to me because I'd known her longer, I was looking to Kouji because he understood the pain she so rarely let to the surface better having lost his own mother. Seeing that I didn't have the answer right then either Kouji turned to glare at our classmates who were still staring and growled. "This isn't a movie, quit staring. Don't you vultures have anything better to do?" Needless to say they QUICKLY dispersed. Kouji may have been a bit more open these days but he still had that old 'Bad Ass' reputation following him around. Which at times like this came in handy. Soon after we had to separate into our respective desks because the teacher was coming but it goes without saying that Kouji and I kept a close eye on Keiko.

A few days later and the sweet, fun-loving, slightly mischievous Keiko still had not returned. It was scary to her walk around in a cloud of depression. I've known Keiko forever and she's always pulled through things that would devastate normal people extremely quickly. But she was so out of it these days...I was almost starting to miss her constant scheming and attempts to hook Kouji and I up. And let me tell you that should tell you something 'cause that was ANNOYING as hell. She couldn't grasp the concept of really close best friends does not necessarily equate to a relationship. But now it was as rare to see her smile as it once had been to see her cry.

I was sitting with Kouji at lunch, Keiko had disappeared but I knew she was probably only in the infirmary since she'd been spending all her lunch hours there since what had happened. I stared moodily at my still powdery mashed potatoes trying to figure out what I could do to help Keiko, her birthday was in a couple days and it just wouldn't do to have her spending it in a depression. But what could you do to ease someone's grief over a dead pet? When I was a kid I'd had a hamster and when it died my mom tried to replace it but I hadn't felt better until-WAIT! That was IT! "Kouji, I think I know how to cheer Keiko up!" I cried jumping up. Kouji eyed me speculatively before leaning it to hear my plan.

Two days later was April twenty-third, Keiko's birthday. Kouji and I Were standing in front of her apartment struggling slightly with her gift. When we managed to ring the bell Keiko's father, Eiri Tanemura, answered. Seeing us he became visibly relieved. "Ah, Kouji, Takuya, thank Kami. Maybe you boys can breathe some life back into her. I feel horrible, I was the one who let Tomaki out the other night..." "Well, we're here to give cheering her up our best shot, sir" I replied as we walked past on our way to her room still trying to keep a hold of her gift. When we got there I said "you should stay out here for a second. That way it's still a surprise." Before slipping into the room. Keiko was curled into a ball on the bed listening to her iPod. "Hey Kei-kei, Happy Birthday." I said cautiously as I sat down on the edge of the bed. Smiling up at me weakly Keiko replied "Thanks, Taki" while sitting up. "So, um, Kouji's here too. We, er, brought you something that I hope will make you feel better." I said rubbing the back of my neck suddenly wondering if this had been such a bright idea after all...

"Ah?: Keiko asked some of that old light coming back into her eyes. Keiko always loved getting gifts so long as there were no strings attached. "Yea, Kouji! Come on in!" I called. The door burst open and Kouji fell forward as the gift finally made it's escape making a beeline straight for Keiko and jumping on her like great furry, wiggling, yipping missile. I fell off the bed and was about to curse when I heard something that seemed like it'd been lifetimes since I'd heard. Keiko's laughter. "Hey! Down! Down boy! Come on, that's enough! It nice to meet you too!" She giggled as the puppy squirmed happily and licked her face. "Wha-what's his name?" she asked breathlessly. Kouji and I looked at each other and smiled. "Ando" we replied in unison. Looking down at the hyperactive fuzzball she grinned and whispered "Ando" Then she looked a us. "Just wondering, what gave you the idea that a dog might be able to cheer me up?" I grinned and replied. "Oh just the fact that I didn't cheer up after my hamster died till you gave me that goldfish you won at the school cultural festival when we were kids. Figured the same kinda thing would work for you except that it'd need to be something that you could cuddle with and I doubted you'd want another cat so soon" Keiko laughed again. "you know me so well it's scary Takuya Kanbara. And that you knew me well enough you thought there was enough of a chance this'd work is kinda frightening also Kouji Minamoto" "Kouji said "hey, we're only friends caring for each other."

**A/N: Yea, this is probably kind of weird but I wrote it to help with dealing with my own grief. See I woke up this morning to find out one of our four cats had gotten hit during the night. I'm fairing a lot better than Keiko but I'm still pretty shook up about it. Thankfully I can take comfort in the fact that the other three are alright...**


End file.
